In Monday’s loss to the White Sox, it took Chicago until the 9th inning to score their eighth run of the game. Tonight, they only had to wait until the 3rd inning, as the Southsiders clobbered Orioles’ starter Trey Gibson en route to a 9-3 blowout of Baltimore.
After only lasting four innings last time out against the Angels, the rookie right-hander was hoping to give the O’s additional length against the White Sox. Instead, Chicago chased him after a disastrous 3rd inning. The Orioles came into the inning tied at 1-1, but former Red Sox and Yankee Andrew Benintendi started the rally off the inning with a single to right. Gibson then hung a slider to Chicago SS Colson Montgomery, who proceeded to blast it toward Eutaw Street for a two-run homer
From there, it only got worse for Gibson. He’d issue his fourth and fifth walks of the game before a Tristan Peters single loaded the bases for the Southsiders. Jacob Gonzalez then dug the O’s grave that much deeper, slashing a 1-0 fastball to left field to score two runs and give Chicago a 5-1 lead.
And while Gonzalez couldn’t clear the bases, No. 9 hitter Junior Perez was happy to oblige. On the first pitch to Perez, Gibson left another breaking ball over the plate, and the outfielder sent it 409 feet to center field for a game-breaking three-run homer.
Gibson would stick around for a couple more batters, finally getting the first out of the inning by striking catcher Kyle Teel. The righty then got Miguel Vargas to pop out before Benintendi ended his evening by working the White Sox’s sixth walk in less than three innings. Gibson exited having thrown 78 total pitches and 37 in the 3rd alone, finishing with a final line of 2.2 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 6 BB and 5 Ks. It was the Orioles’ shortest start since Chris Bassitt only completed three innings in an 8-1 loss to the Red Sox on June 3rd.
Offensively, the Orioles looked ready to compete early, but that spark faded as fast as Gibson’s start. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the 1st, Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo helped spark a game-tying rally. Henderson led off the home 1st by singling up the middle on a changeup on the outer third of the plate. Pete Alonso then worked a two-out walk to move Gunnar to second and set the table for Basallo. The rookie catcher jumped on a first-pitch cutter, slamming a single to right-center to score Henderson and tie the game.
From there, the O’s would go 13 straight plate appearances without registering a hit. Their only base runners during that stretch would come via a Colton Cowser leadoff walk in the 3rd and a Basallo leadoff walk in the 4th. Cowser also came close to hitting a two-run homer in the 4th, only for the loud fly ball to die on the track in right-center field.
The Baltimore bats finally got back on the board in the 5th thanks to the top of the lineup. Henderson started the rally with his second double of the night, sending a one-out double ricocheting off the out-of-town scoreboard in right. Two batters later, Dylan Beavers picked up his first hit since coming off the IL, doubling under the glove of the right fielder to score Gunnar and cut the deficit to 9-2. Alonso then notched up his 59th RBI of the season, singling to right to bring home Beavers and make it 9-3.
The O’s would attempt another rally in the 6th, with Leody Taveras reaching on a leadoff single before moving to second on a one-out single by Blaze Alexander. The attempted rally would fall flat, though, as Jackson Holliday flew out to left for the second out before Gunnar weakly grounded out to second to end the inning. Basallo and Alexander would each reach on leadoff singles in the 7th and 9th, but both were left stranded.
The bullpen arms were really the only group who performed up to expectations Tuesday night, with four pitchers combining for 6.1 IP while only allowing one run. Lanky lefty Josh Walker replaced Gibson and got the final out in the 3rd on two pitches. Walker would allow Chicago’s ninth run in the 4th, giving up a two-single to Tristan Peters before Gonzalez brought him home on a double to center.
Andrew Kittredge then took over in the 5th, punching out two while working around another Benintendi base hit. The real yeoman’s work game from the ever-dependable Albert Suárez. After chewing up three innings in the loss to the Nationals Sunday, the 36-year-old gobbled up another three innings of scoreless ball Tuesday, only allowing one hit and punching out four. Rico Garcia worked a 1-2-3 9th to finish off the impressive effort by the pen.
The loss drops the O’s to nine games under .500 for the first time since September 20th of last season. Dean Kremer is expected to come off the IL tomorrow as the O’s look to avoid the sweep in an afternoon matinee.
